Have a question for Tim?

Part of it is patience. Part of it is pragmatism. Jed Hoyer has resisted replacing the Padres’ underperforming outfielders because time is on their side and not yet on his.

The rookie general manager is willing to wait because that’s probably his best alternative; because Kyle Blanks and Will Venable may come around before baseball’s trade market reconvenes. No ballclub wants to be seen as surrendering in mid-May, so some of those hitters who might be had two months from now are currently out of reach.

Some of the moves Hoyer might make in midseason are impractical now and might be moot by then.

“At this point in the season, the external thoughts are not there,” Hoyer said. “Certainly, some of our younger players have had some ups and downs over the course of the season, but these are guys we believe in. We’re confident they’ll turn it around in the long term.”

On the short term, however, the Padres were clinging to first place entering Tuesday night’s game in San Francisco with their most frequent outfield combination hitting a composite .207. Through the season’s first six weeks, the trio of Blanks (.184), Venable (.222) and Tony Gwynn the Younger (.216) had produced fewer home runs and runs batted in collectively than had Los Angeles outfielder Andre Ethier all by himself.

Superlative pitching and strong defense can disguise a certain amount of offensive ineptitude, but none of the eight teams that qualified for the 2009 postseason did so without at least one outfielder producing a minimum of 22 home runs and 82 RBI. Four of those clubs — the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees — featured two 22/82 outfielders.

If the Padres are to remain in contention, then, they will likely need at least one more legitimate bat than they can currently claim.

That bat could belong to Blanks or Venable, provided either player can locate the swing that tantalized Friars fans last season. It might belong to journeyman Scott Hairston, whose periodic power surges suggest he may be underutilized, but Hairston’s career numbers against right-handed pitching (.235 BA, .292 on-base percentage) argue that he’s better suited to platoon play than everyday duty.

Kyle Blanks leaves home plate after striking out against the Braves last month.— K.C. Alfred / Union-Tribune

Kyle Blanks leaves home plate after striking out against the Braves last month.
— K.C. Alfred / Union-Tribune

Chris Denorfia is hitting .327 at Portland, but he’s a 29-year-old player who has marked most of his time at the Triple-A level since 2005. Neither a rising prospect nor a power hitter, Denorfia does not fit the profile of outfield oomph.

Internally, then, the strongest candidate could be a pair of crossed fingers.

“I’m trying to think about this task rationally,” Hoyer said. “We do have a team with young players and you’ve got to have patience. There are very few players who come into the big leagues and make that fast, easy adjustment.

“In order to be successful, we’re going to have to get good performances out of the young guys. There are a lot of good things that come with youth, (such as) athleticism and fewer injuries. You have to live with some ebbs and flows.”